So, update: I woke up this morning to find the dried whitehead gone - a red indented scar was in its place. Quite upset at the moment. It's too fresh and red to gauge how indented it really is, but it does seem fairly shallow and if this was someone else's skin, it could probably fill in completely with time. Based on my experience though, my healing is poor and I will have a shallow but visible scar there. It's not bad compared to my worst scars, but the fact that I can't seem to prevent new scarring despite only getting occasional mild surface spots or small whiteheads and being generally careful with my skin is very demoralizing. This was partly my own fault though, the whitehead probably would've left some indent even if I hadn't touched it at all, but it may be worse now because of me trying to empty it.

So my tip for preventing scarring based on this experience: only ever touch whiteheads that really do look like they're about to burst, are very close to the surface, and haven't started drying to scabs. I could even say it's better not to touch any whiteheads, but I've had a few minor scars from whiteheads that I haven't touched and felt like if I'd drained them gently, the scarring could've been avoided or at least milder. Still, those scars are very small, and in most cases it really is best to do nothing at all and let nature take care of the healing.

The two other bigger scabs are still there (after 16(!) and 6 days) and I'm hoping they wouldn't scar once they come off, but I can't be sure.

If they're scabbed over and healing the best thing to do is keep them moist and keep yourself hydrated.

Sorry to hear about your new scar. I hope it gets better. (:

From my experience icing and aloe vera gel helps prevent scarring. Zinc and vitamin e also helps.

If they're scabbed over and healing the best thing to do is keep them moist and keep yourself hydrated.

Sorry to hear about your new scar. I hope it gets better. (:

 

Thank you, dear. I'm keeping them moist, except the one scab that looks like it might easily fall off too early. My plan is to keep the scabs on for as long as possible. I don't put any make-up on them, I try to wash them seldomly and gently, and I put a plaster over the other one at night.

I told my boyfriend all about this issue and it helped a lot. We're not seeing each other until next Friday, so he can't see the new scar for himself, but I plan to show it to him when I get the chance and am hoping he will reassure me not to worry about it too much. It actually looks like it just *might* heal in a way that the resulting scar wouldn't bother me much, but it's too early to tell. I'm planning on keeping it moist with Terproline professional, treating it with red LED lights five minutes a day, and taking some extra vitamin C pills.

From my experience icing and aloe vera gel helps prevent scarring. Zinc and vitamin e also helps.

 

Thanks for the tip. I should look into aloe vera gel, I've heard many people recommend it.

If they're scabbed over and healing the best thing to do is keep them moist and keep yourself hydrated.

Sorry to hear about your new scar. I hope it gets better. (:

 

Thank you, dear. I'm keeping them moist, except the one scab that looks like it might easily fall off too early. My plan is to keep the scabs on for as long as possible. I don't put any make-up on them, I try to wash them seldomly and gently, and I put a plaster over the other one at night.

I told my boyfriend all about this issue and it helped a lot. We're not seeing each other until next Friday, so he can't see the new scar for himself, but I plan to show it to him when I get the chance and am hoping he will reassure me not to worry about it too much. It actually looks like it just *might* heal in a way that the resulting scar wouldn't bother me much, but it's too early to tell. I'm planning on keeping it moist with Terproline professional, treating it with red LED lights five minutes a day, and taking some extra vitamin C pills.

From my experience icing and aloe vera gel helps prevent scarring. Zinc and vitamin e also helps.

 

Thanks for the tip. I should look into aloe vera gel, I've heard many people recommend it.

 

Thats good to hear. Glad you can talk to your boyfriend about your skin issues. Lucky Dx

When I first got the mark on my forehead it was really red and it looked indented. Its still healing. It filled in, but the edges are still there and I'm not sure what to think of it. But I never put anything chemical on it when it was healing. Not even hydrogen peroxide because I heard that can make it worse. When it was first red I used chapstick, aloe, or cocoa butter.

Keeping a new scar moist does help with the healing, and it might improve the end result. I wouldn't put any strong chemicals on fresh scarring either. Regular moisturizer or petrolatum jelly or anything non-aggravating should be good. I've liked Terproline professional a lot, but I can't tell if it's any better than a regular moisturizer. It's expensive as fuck and I bought it for needling after-care, but I've ended up using almost half of it on new scarring instead. Will probably have to order some more soon.

It took me almost two years before I finally had the guts to talk to my boyfriend about my scarring. We were very serious at that point and I'd gone through TCA cross treatments during our relationship (without telling him). It's a relief that I can share this with him, especially since it's been such a huge part of my life recently. At first he was actually surprisingly unsympathetic and thought I was being vain, but he's been more understanding since then and keeps telling me that I shouldn't worry about my skin and it's not a big deal if I have some scars. It was definitely worth it in the end, and I feel much better after being able to share it with him. But it's still not always easy, and whenever he notices that something is wrong and asks, and I have to admit that my skin is upsetting me again, I do still feel somewhat embarrassed. But it's important that I can talk about this with him, it does help keep things in perspective.

Keeping a new scar moist does help with the healing, and it might improve the end result. I wouldn't put any strong chemicals on fresh scarring either. Regular moisturizer or petrolatum jelly or anything non-aggravating should be good. I've liked Terproline professional a lot, but I can't tell if it's any better than a regular moisturizer. It's expensive as fuck and I bought it for needling after-care, but I've ended up using almost half of it on new scarring instead. Will probably have to order some more soon.

It took me almost two years before I finally had the guts to talk to my boyfriend about my scarring. We were very serious at that point and I'd gone through TCA cross treatments during our relationship (without telling him). It's a relief that I can share this with him, especially since it's been such a huge part of my life recently. At first he was actually surprisingly unsympathetic and thought I was being vain, but he's been more understanding since then and keeps telling me that I shouldn't worry about my skin and it's not a big deal if I have some scars. It was definitely worth it in the end, and I feel much better after being able to share it with him. But it's still not always easy, and whenever he notices that something is wrong and asks, and I have to admit that my skin is upsetting me again, I do still feel somewhat embarrassed. But it's important that I can talk about this with him, it does help keep things in perspective.

 

Yeah. Thats great though. Its never good to bottle things up. Thats whats killing me. I've been really upset about my skin lately, my whole family knows, but my boyfriend doesn't. He just knows I've been having anxiety. My family isn't very sympathetic though. Anytime I'm upset they threaten me to stop being that way or I can't see my boyfriend anymore. It sucks .-.

This reminds me of myself exactly. I never discussed my breakouts with my boyfriend. Now we are married 2.5 years and it still took me 6 months after noticing scarring to bring it up. I was terrified. And when he asks why I am sad I get extremely anxious about telling him why. He says he doesn't really notice. What does your boyfriend say - had he ever noticed? How in the world did you do TCA cross without him knowing? He didn't see you recovering?

It took me almost two years before I finally had the guts to talk to my boyfriend about my scarring. We were very serious at that point and I'd gone through TCA cross treatments during our relationship (without telling him). It's a relief that I can share this with him, especially since it's been such a huge part of my life recently. At first he was actually surprisingly unsympathetic and thought I was being vain, but he's been more understanding since then and keeps telling me that I shouldn't worry about my skin and it's not a big deal if I have some scars. It was definitely worth it in the end, and I feel much better after being able to share it with him. But it's still not always easy, and whenever he notices that something is wrong and asks, and I have to admit that my skin is upsetting me again, I do still feel somewhat embarrassed. But it's important that I can talk about this with him, it does help keep things in perspective.

 

My derm told me not to bother with aloe beta, but I beg to differ!! Would anyone suggest vitamin c peels or facials for scars? And if so, Are they safe when you are currently on topical and oral medication?? Should I ask my derm first?

Aloe vera***

This reminds me of myself exactly. I never discussed my breakouts with my boyfriend. Now we are married 2.5 years and it still took me 6 months after noticing scarring to bring it up. I was terrified. And when he asks why I am sad I get extremely anxious about telling him why. He says he doesn't really notice. What does your boyfriend say - had he ever noticed? How in the world did you do TCA cross without him knowing? He didn't see you recovering?

 

We were in a long-distance relationship at the time, so he didn't see me recovering (I made sure we weren't supposed to see each other right after my treatments). He had asked where I'd got my pockmarks about a year or a year and a half into our relationship, and I guess he thought they were from chicken pox (a couple of them are). I was very embarrassed and said something general about them being from spots and chicken pox and then changed the subject. I never discussed my scarring and told him how much it bothered me until fairly recently. So he did notice it before I brought it up. I think my scarring is fairly noticeable even if it could be much worse, although it's very hard to judge objectively. I don't think you can get very honest answers from your family and friends either. My boyfriend is very honest by nature and when I asked, he told me they were noticeable (which was upsetting enough), although he also said my scarring is beautiful in a way, and a bit like freckles, and it took him a long time (whatever that means) before he noticed. So eh, I don't know. At least he loves me just as I am, as he often says, and that's really enough to keep me happy.

Yeah. Thats great though. Its never good to bottle things up. Thats whats killing me. I've been really upset about my skin lately, my whole family knows, but my boyfriend doesn't. He just knows I've been having anxiety. My family isn't very sympathetic though. Anytime I'm upset they threaten me to stop being that way or I can't see my boyfriend anymore. It sucks .-.

 

It would probably be very good for you if you could confide in your boyfriend about this scar and your anxiety over it. You should consider it, even if it feels difficult. If you'd see how this scar doesn't make you any different in his eyes, perhaps it would help you to put things in perspective and ease your mind. Especially since I'm under the impression that your scar is so mild no one else can even notice it but you.

Update:

Scab number 1 still there, after 19 days. It doesn't look like it's going anywhere, and I'm getting worried. It looks like someone glued a thick (1-2mm) small round piece of dead skin on top of normal skin, which is a bit weird. Scab number 2 is still there, after 9 days. I still keep a bandaid over it during the nights, but when my boyfriend comes over in a couple of days, I'll probably stop. Neither of the scabs have changed in any way during the last week.

I can't remember ever having scabs from pimples last for such a long time! Or 9-10 days, probably yes at the very maximum, but 19! Is this normal anymore? Although I have been very careful not to touch them at all, which may have affected them not falling off. Based on my past experiences, I wouldn't have expected these to scar as long as the scabs didn't fall prematurely, but this is getting fairly ridiculous. I really don't know what to expect anymore when they fall off, and that's why waiting for them to do so is even harder. I feel very tempted to rip the first scab off, although that's probably a bad idea, even after almost three weeks.

My parents-in-law are coming over for a visit in a few days, and I guess I'll have both of these fairly noticeable scabs on my cheeks while they're here. My ultimate nightmare would be the scabs falling off during their visit and revealing new scars - I think I would be too upset to be social with anyone, although I have no choice. I really hope these aren't going to scar.

On the positive side, the new scar seems like it's not going to bother me that much once it's healed. It's too early to tell yet, and of course I'm annoyed with it as I don't think it's going to be completely invisible, but still something I can live with.

New update. Sorry about this, I'm sure no one here cares about my scabs but me. I just need a place to vent, since it's causing me great concern and my boyfriend and sister can only take so much.

So. Scab number 1 fell off this morning (day 20). I was half-asleep and touching it, which caused it to fall off. May have been a bit too early, actually, and I should've been more careful. The new skin is quite pink, and there were two scars, although very small. They're the type that look like slightly enlarged pores, although they do stand out a bit since I don't have visible pores there. However, I'm just happy I didn't get anything worse. This is a relief.

Scab number 2 (day 10) doesn't look too good. :/ Most of the scab is just composed of a layer of white dead skin that looks like it would peel off at the slightest touch. However, the centre still looks like it should stay there for longer, and if it falls now, it could be too soon and may cause some further damage. The scab looks really ugly because there is that thick layer of white peeling skin around it, which I'm afraid to try to get off. A little bit came off already after I washed my face, and revealed a tiny piece of red skin. I'm freaking out a bit, because it really can't come off yet. I would like for it to stay on for another week, or at least five days. I'll try my outmost not to touch it at all and keep it on for as long as possible, even if it looks ugly and I have to go out and be social during the next week. I'll try not to worry too much (although it's hard). I'm really scared I'll have a horrible new scar once the scab comes off.

same thing happens to me. All of my pimples scab ( i dont ever pick either). Has using any moisturizer helped your healing?

same thing happens to me. All of my pimples scab ( i dont ever pick either). Has using any moisturizer helped your healing?

 

Sorry for the late response. I can't tell if moisturizers have helped with scabs or not. I think keeping the area moisturized does help with healing, but you wouldn't want the scab to fall prematurely either. Right now I have one scab left (now have had it for 3 weeks), and I don't keep it moisturized. I don't, in fact, touch it at all at the moment. I try not to wash it, I keep a bandaid over it in the shower and at night. This seems to work fairly well, and I'm hoping once the scab does fall off, it wouldn't scar. The previous scab that fell off after almost three weeks left a scar behind, and I think it was mostly because I was fretting about it too much, I was touching it too much (even if I tried to be careful), and as a result it fell prematurely. Also, I was stupid and I assumed that since I'd had it for almost three weeks, it possibly couldn't be that bad if I caused it to fall off at that point. Wrong! I try not to disturb scabs in any way from now on, right until the point when they fall off on their own - even if it takes weeks, or months. Now that the scab has fallen off, I keep the new scar moisturized and hope it will fill in and look better after a few months. It does look fairly bad now, even though it's small. :/ Maybe it's in part due to the hyperpigmentation. It's funny, but I have some older scars that are at least as deep and bigger around it, and they look much less noticeable. I guess that's what happens to scars over time, they soften and look nicer but the change is so slow, you don't really notice it.

I use Terproline Professional for moisturizing new scars and damaged skin. I can't tell if it's more effective than any other moisturizer, but I am quite pleased with it in any case. I've been using it for another scar I got in early August, and I'm actually positively surprised by how much it has improved, even though it's still there of course. It does look like it's filled in and got smaller. So, moisturizing the area after the scab falls off does seem to help.

This has officially become my venting place / diary regarding my skin issues. Sorry, it wasn't the original purpose of the thread. But... we just had a christmas game session and were all sitting on the same sofa, my sister right next to me. And all of a sudden she lifts her arm to brush her hair or whatever, and hits my left cheek, where my scab is. It bloody hurts. I rush to the toilet to check the damage, and the scab is still on, but more torn off than before. And now I can't stop thinking about it being damaged and resulting in a scar. There's nothing I can do but let it be and wait and not worry, but I can't stop worrying about it now. My whole night has been ruined since. How can I get my mind off of it? It's not life threatening, I shouldn't be so overly concerned and anxious. I've been thinking about going to a therapist to discuss my anxiety over my skin (my boyfriend recommended it, actually). I don't know how other people deal in situations like this. The thought of getting TotalFX a year from now (possibly) is the only somewhat reassuring thing right now.